Indigenous biodiversity
Relationships with landowners, Māori and the community
Relationships with landowners
Much of New Zealand’s remaining lowland and coastal indigenous vegetation and wildlife habitats are on private land. Where landowners understand and appreciate the importance of the dependence of indigenous biodiversity on their property management they are more likely to try to protect the relevant areas.
A good model for this is the Marlborough District Council’s ‘Significant Natural Areas’ Programme where the Council is working with landowners to better protect areas of indigenous biodiversity value.
Regional council processes for preparing farm/environment property plans could be extended to directly address terrestrial and freshwater indigenous biodiversity protection. This would require council staff preparing such plans to be aware of existing information about biodiversity values on and close to the property and to seek ecological advice where this is appropriate.
Active protection of indigenous biodiversity on private land usually requires funding for activities such as fencing, animal pest and weed control, and alternative stock water sources. Councils can help by allocating funding to assist landowners to protect and maintain indigenous biodiversity on their properties. They can also assist landowners to apply for other sources of funding and joining multi-agency funding packages (eg, a package involving the district council, regional council, Queen Elizabeth II National Trust and Nature Heritage Fund.
Regulatory provisions are needed as a backup to methods focused on education and practical assistance. These work best when a council is seen to be operating in a principled, thorough, consultative and fair manner.
Freshwater and estuarine habitats have diminished in quality in many areas because of the impacts of increased human settlement and/or land use intensification. Voluntary improvements are encouraged through industry accords (eg, the Dairying and Clean Streams Accord) and regional council farm planning education and practical assistance are needed, along with regulation-induced improvements in land use practice. Good relationships with landowners should be based on mutual understanding of the biodiversity and other values at risk and the measures needed to reverse the damage, as well as an understanding of economic and commercial imperatives.
Māori landowners
Māori land ownership can provide additional challenges and opportunities for councils. A major challenge can be identifying the appropriate person to talk to about biodiversity values on land that is in multiple ownership (note powers to amalgamate land are available under Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993). Discussions may take time and can be improved where there is continuity of staff involved. Māori relationships with their land are long term. It is important that council staff recognise and appreciate these values.
The Nga Whenua Rahui Fund provides opportunities for protecting biodiversity on Māori land. There can be successful collaborations between the fund and councils (eg, fencing the indigenous vegetation and margins of Lake Rotoehu in the Bay of Plenty).
Treaty of Waitangi settlements with Te Arawa (for the Rotorua Lakes) and Tainui (for the Waikato River) have included funding for environmental restoration as well as a governance role. This provides opportunities for regional and district councils to work cooperatively with iwi to improve the quality of aquatic ecosystems and to work together to develop policies and objectives for district and regional plans.
The community
The community is becoming increasingly involved in biodiversity protection and restoration activities on public and private land. This can be via:
- direct volunteering by individuals to work on planting and other ecological restoration activities in agency-run programmes on public land (eg, Waitakere City Council volunteers’ programme)
- branches or affiliates of national organisations working on public lands (eg, Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society restoration activities on Department of Conservation reserve land at Pauatahanui Inlet, Russell Landcare Trust working on Far North District Council land)
- branches or affiliates of national organisations working on private lands (eg, Mahinepua-Radar Hill Landcare Group in Northland and many other Landcare groups)
- special-purpose organisations working on public land (eg, Friends of Mana Island and Friends of Tiritiri Matangi Island (working with the Department of Conservation), Tawharanui Open Sanctuary Society Inc (in partnership with Auckland Regional Council) and Friends of Tawa Bush and Friends of Trelissick Park (Wellington City))
- special-purpose organisations working on species-focused ecological restoration projects on private land (eg, Kiwi Foundation in Northland)
- volunteers working on species-focused ecological restoration projects on public land (eg, the kokako management programme in the Hunua Ranges in a combined Department of Conservation–Auckland Regional Council project)
- special-purpose organisations working on public and private land (eg, Guardians of Bay of Islands is working with the Department of Conservation on achieving animal–pest free islands, and working with landowners and volunteers on the mainland pest control to reduce the risk of pest reinvasion)
- organisations set up and provided with ongoing assistance by councils (eg, Waikato Beachcare and Bay of Plenty Coast Care)
- major ecological restoration projects involving public agencies, community trusts and extensive sponsorship and fund-raising and ongoing volunteer activities (eg, Karori Sanctuary/Zealandia, Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust).
Community volunteers can make an important contribution to biodiversity protection and restoration activities throughout New Zealand. Councils can work with these volunteers and volunteer groups to help them make a greater contribution to achieving goals set out in long-term community consultative plans and Resource Management Act plans. Positive things councils can do include:
- providing advice and resources
- providing funding
- helping groups access other sources of funding
- providing a context through a biodiversity strategy for the region or district
- establishing a local or regional biodiversity forum
- recognising the value of sites in plans through policies and objectives to help protect sensitive and/or valuable resources.
Councils can also assist community groups by removing impediments to ecological restoration such as:
- landfill fees for disposal of non-compostable weed species like ginger
- requirements for costly and lengthy resource consent processes for ecological restoration activities such as repairing the hydrology in wetlands threatened by surrounding land drainage (eg, Environment Bay of Plenty) and undertaking animal pest control operations with aerially applied poison where landowners agree.
